Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
(Oxford University Press, 2007), understanding the principle of salience is one key to
designing visuals that direct and hold attention. Salience suggests that “attention is
drawn to large perceptible differences.” The most important element of your design
should also be the most salient, says Kosslyn.
You can do this in many ways, such as with larger or bold type, color choices,
positioning, and myriad other techniques that help guide the viewer's eyes.
Generally, the slide backgrounds themselves should have relatively low salience. That is,
backgrounds should be simple without lots of perceptible differences in the background
image itself since this would interfere with the foreground elements. (And if you use a
photo for a background image, use a photo that supports your message instead of
undermining it. A good background, Kosslyn says, can “allow you to underline your
message effectively, or it can create confusion. The background image should not
conflict with the message of the display.”)
Ambiguity between foreground and background elements often leads to weak visuals,
confusion, and possibly even eyestrain. Backgrounds with patterns should be avoided
as they have too much salience.
You can use images as background, but there must be clear contrast with the elements on top. The examples
here show better contrast as you move from left to right. (Images in slides on this page and opposite page from
iStockphoto.com
.)
The preference for people
We are naturally drawn to images of people, and we're especially drawn to images of
faces. We even have a tendency to see a face where a face does not actually exist, such
as in an unusual pattern on the surface of a cheese sandwich or cinnamon bun or in a
low-resolution photo of the surface of Mars. Images of people get our attention like few
other images can.
